Atheist wins right to wear pasta strainer as “religious headgear”

Austrian atheist has won the right to wear a pasta strainer on his driving license photo to honor his religion “Pastafarianism”

Austrian atheist, Niko Alm, applied for the driving license three years ago after reading that headgear was allowed in official pictures only for confessional reasons, Herr Alm said the pasta strainer was a requirement of his religion, pastafarianism.

Herr Alm says he belongs to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose members call themselves pastafarians.

The group’s website states that “the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the rejection of dogma”. In response to pressure for American schools to teach the Christian theory known as intelligent design, as an alternative to natural selection, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wrote to the Kansas School Board asking for the pastafarian version of intelligent design to be taught to schoolchildren, as an alternative to the Christian theory.
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Pasta strainer man forced to have mental fitness check

The license took three years to come through and, according to Herr Alm, he was asked to submit to a medical interview to check on his mental fitness to drive but his efforts paid off.

It is the police who issue driving licenses in Austria, and they have duly issued a laminated card showing Herr Alm in his unorthodox item of religious headgear.

The next step, Herr Alm told the Austrian news agency APA, is to apply to the Austrian authorities for pastafarianism to become an officially recognized faith.

MadMikesAmerica editorial team would like the world to know they all wear a bright pink pasta strainer.

It’s funny how HE was required to take a mental test to ensure he was stable enough to drive, but the Christians, Morons, Jews, Muslims, etc. of the world are considered by default to be perfectly sane. Riiiight.

All you people who are saying this is “silly”, etc…how is it any different from any real religions out there? This man was most likely making the statement that anybody’s religion can be considered silly by somebody else from a different perspective.

One way of trying to get through to xians and muslims would be by making fun of their religion. When I say I’m a pastafarian, it’s my way of telling you that ALL religions are just myths imposed on us when we were a young species because we knew nothing of science and the natural world. Religion was just a way of explaining the universe by inventing a god which rules it. However, religion’s day is over and science and education need to rule the new millennium and the future of mankind if we are to grow as a species. If you take the FSM as a true god and religion then you are no different than xians, muslims, or any other god worshiping dogma.

If you people only have some faith, and accept Jesus Christ in your heart, with all the love he has for all of you, then you will finally see the truth, and all of your doubts, and curiosity will be quench. all of these nonsense, that is poisoning our country, and destroying civilization, would cease to exist.
find peace whiting you soul
God bless all..

You are a lemming. I was breed into this nonsense in the south…. the bible belt, went to a christian school, baptized, saved (born-again), walked the walk, know that book inside and out. Then found truth in science, empirical evidence. Testable hypothesis. Your “truth” is all plagiarized fairy tales of bronze era goat herders.

Don’t believe me? Look up previous deities such as Mithra, Dionysus, Horus…. All of these, plus many hundreds more, all have almost identical accomplishments that have been laid claim by your savior…. Virgin birth, born on Dec 25th, executed and rose from the dead three days later, etc.. AND predate your myth by hundreds if not thousands of years. Ever read the Tale of Gilgamesh? There is the Noah story told thousands of years prior to Genesis.

Religion is a way to control people and rob them of their money out of guilt and fear, simple as that. I would dare to say that MOST of the worlds problems are caused by religion. This will only be a better world when fairy tales and superstitions are eliminated. History and science books are not your enemy…. a closed “faithful” mind is.

America was not founded on religious principles. The vast majority of founding fathers were either atheist or agnostic.

Religion is not helping America. Scientists and those with educations are helping America and they are largely Atheist.

In the past 30 years, as religion has become more and more prominent, more damage has been done to America by religion than anything else. Evidence of this is the teaching of ID in schools. How ID can be taught in school as being plausible blows my mind. ID is complete ignorance and evokes a What The F*** every time I think about it.

So please get over this religion and god are good for america. I say this but know that dogmaticly religious people will read it and think I just need to open my heart to god or some rubbish but to be honest god is as likely to have created the universe as the FSM and I’m not likely to praise either of them anytime soon.

Oh my, what a surprise; I condescending asshead who wants us to believe that it wasn’t a religious right Christian nutjob that killed 91 people in Norway, or shoots up a UUU church, ’cause “that’s where all teh Liberals hang out”, or…

Said it before, but here we go again. Just because one claims to be a Christian, when their actions do not bear out their claim, the claim is false. Think of it like this; go to the top of a tall building, claim you are an eagle, and jump off. If you fly, well, claim proven. If you plummet to Earth and splatter, your claim is false and should not engender slanderous statements against eagles.

We as humans need to grow up and stop using religion as excuse to be irresponsible. If we are to survive as à species then we need to deal in reality because that is all we can understand and have the ability to use our evolved reasoning to predict patterns in order to prepare and survive. There is no advanced being that is going to save us and the afterlife is not a heaven and THE consciousness we have is while we are living.

Mar, some advanced beings called. They said they’d be back, just as soon as you lighten up.

We’re not gonna erase religion any time soon, so I suggest you try and get along with the ones who are keeping up with the times, ’cause not all of them want to take us back to the 1300’s, and lot’s of the moderates are fighting hard for a more secular worldview for everyone. We non-believers couldn’t possibly do it alone.

Perhaps our goals shouldn’t be to ‘erase religion’ or deny spirituality or the possible existence of god(s) or creator(s). Personally, I believe the biggest problem with religion is the assumption that one type of faith can cater to the needs of thousands of unique individuals. From what I’ve gathered from history and conversations with religious and nonreligious alike, no one sees the world exactly the same way and we shouldn’t be expected to. The danger of religion isn’t the views or the irrationality: it’s the creation of a mob mentality which almost always leads to self-favoritism and prejudice of other groups. The two most important causes we can invest in to increase awareness and doubt, as well as encourage personal agency in individuals’ spiritual journeys through life, is to (1) strongly support equal, free access to accurate information and education (including well reasoned discussions and exercises in critical thinking), and (2) push for greater freedom of movement and access to reliable and affordable public transportation. No one should be forced to live in a social climate they find oppressive, threatening, or unhealthy to their physical, spiritual, or psychological health.

Mob mentality. See, if you’re a member of a small minority, as we atheists are, then the near-term solution is to join with those who at least are not opposed to your ideals. That’s what I see is the case, when groups like AU, which is lead by Christian believers and non-believers alike, fight for the strengthening of the wall of separation, and striving for secular government.

Other groups that are more to the point of your comment, such as some members of the NCSE, have decided to include Christian-type group-think into their accommodationist plans, are something else entirely, as PZ Myers, Jerry Coyne, et. al. have described.

pretty much it does not matter what you think of his religion. it is a viable religion. even if it’s views are “all religions are myths” then that is that religions rule. they shouldn’t even be saying atheist at all. even inf your way of life does not have a name does not mean it isn’t your religion, your philosophy,

I’m surprised at how all these comments are taking this so seriously. The stupid bloke with the pasts hat is just that -stupid. It has nothing to do with religion.

The unfortunate thing is that if the Austrian police had refused him a driving licence, he would have been able to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights which would undoubtedly have agreed with him – most of its decisions are crazy.

The only thing I can see that are wrong with this is that a pasta strainer is not the religious head gear of Pastafarians. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster preaches that “pirates, the original Pastafarians, were peaceful explorers and it was due to Christian misinformation that they have an image of outcast criminals today” and because of this it is customary for its members to dress like pirates, not wear cooking implements on their heads.

Whether or not The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is a widely accepted religion or just a cult or a spoof is irrelevant. Every man/woman is entitled to their own religious practices. If the hat in no way affects his driving abilities, or alters the image on his license, then the ruling should not be open to debate to the ignorance of the internet population.

The truth is, this man could quite probably be more true to his Pastafarian practices than most self-declared Christians, and who are we to judge him on that?

What he is doing has nothing to do with ID, so stop making it a debate about whether Intelligent Design should be taught in schools or not. And those of you who will argue that this has everything to do with ID still can’t wrap their minds around the fact that his religious beliefs and his Driver’s License are not a direct attack towards anyone, so stop attacking him.

Gosh I wish people could just realize that Atheists and Christians are both wrong; totally wrong. Jesus was a metaphor for intellectual and spiritual enlightenment. Then Atheists say nothing happened or matters out of it. They might as well be book burners, they’re even worse than Christians, they’re very destructive people *rabble rabble rant rant* 😛

How are atheists worse than Christians? Most Atheists keep to themselves and most stay “in the closet” about their beliefs. Christians push their faith on everyone else…and if you don’t believe as they do…you’re wrong…doesn’t matter if your atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Islamic, etc.

Holte Ender… You is wrong! There was an Australian so sick of the religious idiots of the Mormon persuasion that he cam to the states and dressed in a white shirt and tie and at an early morning hour began ringing doorbells and handing out atheism flyer’s.

It’s on the internet somewhere.

What we atheists should do is to gather and share the addresses of Mormons and other brainwashed and bothersome religious weirdo’s. Then we could organize a bit and see if some scheduled doorbell wringing at 6:00 AM to push atheism flyer’s might get them to back off.

It is truly sad that innocent children are scheduled to receive their mandatory brainwashings in the south. That practice should be illegal. Children whose parents mention one, just one word of religion to them before the age of 21 should be taken out and sequestered in a camp run by atheist psychologists until they are mentally cleansed of that brutal and stupid hogwash.

If they ever read the bible thoroughly, and with an open mind, they could not help but realize that it is pure bullshit. If they do not, off to the camp for a cleaning.

In that book, god caN BE SEEN AS KILLING THOUSANDS where the devel gets less than 10 to his credit. Also, ever notice that the bible thinks women are there only for the use of men? What is this god? Only the misguided thoughts of that idiot Jesus who was most likely very insecure mentally. Claiming to be the son of a GOD??? Really?

So the religious are following a guy so mentally loose he claims THAT? Wheeeeewwwwww . . .

You guys are seriously arguing over this? Dude get over it, people have right of belief, if they believe in this let them. Religion is over rated, and has caused so many hate crimes, wars, and countless bickering it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Stop arguing over it like a bunch of preschoolers for their favorite toy.

Wonk, wonk, wonk, religion starts wars. Dude, do really believe that Christian Reich troops and Islamofacist partisans Hebrew stormtroopers are fighting in the middle east over wether God wears a Fez, a Yamulke, a pointy Pope hat or a pasta strainer? You cannot possibly be that naive.

Here’s what you’re missing. Sure, they’re fighting over land in the Middle East… but why *that* land? I mean, have you BEEN there? Most of the place is a desert. A shitty, boring, hot, useless desert. Now, if they were fighting over the south of France or over Honolulu or something, I’d get it. But the reason that they CARE who owns that crappy patch of sand is because their holy cities are there.

It’s quite possible that the ones who do believe in religion are fundamentally different from ones that don’t. Perhaps the difference is genetic. Certain people are probably more genetically inclined in being irrational.

With everyone arguing over what a religion is, why does it matter to anyone here whether someone wears a pasta strainer on their head? As a nonreligious person, whether someone believed a cosmic Jewish zombie saved humanity or a flying spaghetti monster created the world, it all sounds the same after a while. As long as this guy doesn’t start causing harm to others because of his religion, whether he takes it seriously or not, let him do what he wants. Live and let live.

No! This irresponsible act of disrespect to all those of pure faith who follow divinely-elected religious leaders wearing silly hats cannot go unpunished! This linguine-laden laughingstock shall rue the day that he embarked on this blasphemous little ploy!

This is great! Wonderful! It actually may set a precedent that can be used to require all who display religious articles to have a mental evaluation. Additionally would it not be great to have a judge order a mental examination of one of the children of a Pastafarianism checking for a brainwashed condition, determine that the child was brainwashed and then find the parent guilty of brainwashing a child. Then a law would be formed to prohibit brainwashing a child.

If America had a strong law to prohibit the brainwashing of children, nearly all religion would die.

Frankly, while I wish that would happen, I know it never will. There is far too much wealth in religion. Do you actually think con men like Jimmy Swaggart, Bakker, the pope, and others in that seedy lot would be willing to give up their money machines? Those cons have a good thing going and they know it.

Those guys collects tons of bucks from idiots and suckers in in the bible belt because this is also the low IQ section of America. Stupid people are so moved by the invisible man in the sky and the original book of superstition and the second book of stupid fables that all one must do to get into their pockets is to come up with something from either one of those books. They get all the needed brainwashing info from the Christian religion. 2,000 years of recent practice makes that group perfect at the practice of suckering dummies with their brainwashing and con techniques.

They give money to a preacher thinking it is for some God? How dumb can you be?

Oh yes, let’s give the government absolute control over what you may or may not teach your children. Sort of like how emerging communist countries of the last century took over the ‘re-education’ of millions of citizens, who soon would up dead.
And while we’re on the subject of death at the hands of the anti-religious, lets not forget that in the ‘abolish religion’ camp would be Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Mao Tse Tung, among others, while in the ‘practice religion’ camp would be Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther, (both King and O.G.) and all of the Dali’s Lama. I’m just saying.

That’s a craptastic bit of obfuscation you got going there. Or did you forget the “Gott Mit Uns” belt buckles worn by the troops under Hitler, or the fact that all those examples you used have one REAL thing that ties them together; blood-thirst for absolute power. Hitler used the church to consolidate his authority, the others felt that religions undermined theirs, thus the eradication of religious worship. None of them had atheism as their goal, it was only a tool for gaining power.

No, I’m well aware of the ‘Gott Mitt Uns’ belt buckles, which actually go back to the first world war, and the Kaiser, and my point is that all these men, and a thousand others like them have either villified religion, to persectute those they percieved as threats to their power or convenient scapegoats, or they have corrupted and co-opted the faith for their own ends, which as I have stated before are always power, wealth and/or territory to rule. The fact that the belief can be corrupted, and the vulnerable duped is not, or at least should not be an indictment against faith. Just as Atheism was a tool to their political ends, so were the corrupted religions. Oh, and by the one REAL thing the examples I used having in common, is it safe to assume you’re not referring to Gandhi, Luther, King, or the Dali’s Lama? Oh, and p.s. I’m not the one on here advocating removing children from parents for their beliefs, or sending anyone who doesn’t agree with me to camps. Those are your guys.

I don’t know who invented the “right” to believe in religion. What kind of bull* is this?
I know that people who claim to be gods, or Napoleons are in mental hospitals. A person who started a war and killed thousands cause “god told him so” was the president of the USA for 8 years.
How is that psychotic, schizophrenic persons are more dangerous than the christians that go around threatening homosexuals, abortion doctors, atheists etc and many times carry out their threats?
Just because in their imaginary world they are better off (heaven & eternal life) than in the real world that doesn’t mean they are not insane.

I wouldn’t force anyone to believe or not. A big part of them are lost causes anyway.
The right of anyone to his/her opinion does not imply my obligation to respect it. I can’t show respect for anyone’s illusions or superstitions. I usually ignore these people and many times I pity them.
I strongly support that the law should put a stop to their “right” to restrict and take away all the other people’s rights just because god told them so.

It’s generally amusing watching the religious and the atheistic argue back and forth.

Both complaining about the other. One seeing the other as a threat to their tradition, the other seeing the one as a threat to reason. One says keep them away from our children, the other says keep the children away from them. Both accomplishing nothing.

Whether or not you agree, you have to admit this is pretty darn funny. If you don’t think so your far too uptight.

I don’t see the point in arguing over religion because you simply can’t change people’s minds. Furthermore neither side knows if their really right till their dead. Seperate religion from activities of the state and let people be no matter what side you’re on do what you want.

“I don’t see the point in arguing over religion because you simply can’t change people’s minds.”

What are you talking about?
Our minds aren’t encased in concrete mentally bound to one idea for a lifetime forever prevented from experiencing new thoughts.
People change there minds all the time (even there religious beliefs) theists become atheists and atheists become theists, we can alter our beliefs when we need too it happens all the time.

“Furthermore neither side knows if their really right till their dead.”

We can never know with 100% certainty if we’re really right on almost anything however this doesn’t mean that we can’t debate the reasons for why we hold those beliefs to see weather or not they can be reasonably supported with in what we currently know.

This is just as much a religion as christianity is. Just because it hasn’t been around for 6000+ years doesn’t make it any less of a religion. Lol. Give it some time and more people will adapt into believing it. This makes jUst as much sense as christianity does. If christians can use their religion for the stupid crap they do, why cant pastafarians? 😀

Your dog or cat or an interesting shaped rock or mountain talking to you and you are crazy…call the voice in your head “God” and with a little luck you get millions to give you money, burn people, start wars…what a deal!

I find the Flying Spaghetti Monster to be at least if not more so valid that any of the older religions. If we are going to teach “Intelligent design” in a science class we need to teach all the great religions versions of intelligent design including the Flying Spaghetti Monster’s version. If certain religions feel their version is better…let them prove it like you have to prove other scientific theories…peer review and all that but a review of scientists not religious nuts.

Interesting we start off this thread with a religious person calling another religion nonsense. Wonder if we pressed onward would they be like many Christians (or other religous persons)…demanding tolerance (acceptance and following actually) of their religion but insisting that all those other whacko ones not be respected. Religion seems to be like rooting for your sport’s team or your nation…”We’re Number ONE!!”. “My God gets me to heaven and your God doesn’t…nyah, nyah, nyah!” No need of facts here…just faith.

Wow, this was really interesting, and the comments are fascinating. Just a few things I wanted to throw out there:
People always tell Christians that they need to go read Darwin’s works, and while I havn’t read the whole thing, I think that their point is valid. Christians toss the whole evolution theory out, and they completely ignore that there is proof of parts of Darwin’s hypothesis all around us. We can see micro-evolution everywhere, yet because Christians have a problem with Macro-evolution they toss out the whole thing. Darwin was a brilliant man who had many good ideas, yet he has been villified by a whole group of people simply because they don’t like what he suggested in part of one of his books. Another thing, Pastafarians are indignant because their beliefs aren’t taught in schools along with the major belief systems; news flash: you guys aren’t exactly a major religion yet. Given, some day you might be, but at the time y’all are kinda a easily ignored, rather small group when compared to the religions that actually make it into the schools. And before I shut up (as many of you will tell me to due to my boring, rather dumb post) I want to point out that while Christians should spend the time to at least look through Darwin’s works, there are a few Atheists who should look through the Bible, and while it might not be their cup of tea, they could probably learn a few things from it; just as there are a few Christians who could learn a thing or two from Darwin’s works. Shutting up now, ~ Thax

Hmm it looks like your site ate my initial comment (it was super long) so I suppose I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m totally enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything. Do you have got any useful hints for rookie blog writers? I’d genuinely appreciate it.

Seriously, this is fucking childish. Nobody cares about your fake beliefs, you’re just being a loser by ridiculing yourself in public. Pastafarianism? Really? Whatever happened to being an Atheist? Oh, that’s not cool and edgy enough for people like you. I forgot.